Tufted back mold for fabric covered button



Oct. 31, 1967 CAROCCI 3,349,448

TUFTED BACK MOLD FOR FABRIC COVERED BUTTON T INVENTOR. E v 28 Lows Cqpoccx QTTORNEYS Oct. 31, 1967 L. CAROCCI 3,3

TUFTED BACK MOLD FOR FABRIC COVERED BUTTON Filed June 2, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. L ou/s Cnfioccx EMWWXKM ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,349,448 TUFTED BACK MOLD FOR FABRIC COVERED BUTTON Louis Carocci, Johnston, R.I., assignor to C. & C. Button & Trimming Co. Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 2, 1965, Ser. No. 460,728 2 Claims. (CI. 24-92) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tufted back mold for a button in which a retainer disc has a plurality of radially inwardly directed teeth located on a circle outboard of a central disc opening which are disposed under a radially outwardly extending lip around a central opening of a shell to clamp a fabric piece having a tuft extending through the shell opening between the teeth and the lip.

My invention relates to a tufted back mold for a fabric covered button and more particularly to an im proved tufted back mold which is more durable and which is stronger than are back molds of the prior art.

Fabric covered buttons are relatively widely used in the garment industry since they readily permit of making a button which precisely matches the garment fabric. One particular type of fabric covered button known in the prior art includes a peripherally flanged back mold which receives a flanged outer shell with a fabric piece stretched over the outer shell and clamped between the outer shell flange and the peripheral flange of the back mold. The back mold of these fabric covered buttons includes a shell having a peripheral flange and having a central opening through which a piece of canvas or the like is pushed to provide a tuft which receives thread to secure the button to the garment. In order to retain the canvas tuft in the shell, a filler slug of cardboard is placed in the shell and a peripheral flange is crimped to retain the slug thus to clamp the fabric edge between the slug and the base of the shell.

Fabric covered buttons of the type described above are not as widely used as they otherwise might be owing to a number of defects. First, the buttons are not as durable as is desirable. That is, they cannot withstand rough usage without disassembly. Twisting is particularly harmful as it causes the fabric to be pulled out of the back mold shell. Loss of a fabric covered button is a relatively serious matter owing to the fact that the button is not readily replaceable and all the buttons on the garment may have to be replaced.

Another difficulty with fabric covered buttons of the type described is the fact that they cannot withstand laundering since the cardboard filler first swells and then contracts with the result that the fabric becomes so loose that it may readily pull out of the assembly.

In addition to the difficulties in use of fabric covered buttons they embody a further disadvantage. In order to provide the button with any appreciable degree of strength the cardboard filler must be relatively thick. consequently the button itself is thick, a condition which in many instances is undesirable.

I have invented an improved tufted back mold for a fabric covered button which overcomes the defects inherent in fabric covered buttons of the prior art. My back mold retains the tuft-forming material securely to the shell of the mold. My back mold can withstand twisting of the tuft-forming material wthout release thereof. My back mold is not deleteriously affected by laundering or dry-cleaning. My construction permits of manufacture -of a thinner fabric covered button than do tufted back molds of the type known in the art.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved tufted back mold for a fabric covered button which is stronger and more durable than are back molds of the prior art.

Another object of my invention is to provide a tufted back mold for a fabric covered button which is not deleteriously affected by washing or dry-cleaning.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved tufted back mold for a fabric covered button which resists separation of the tuft-forming material as a result of twisting.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved tufted back mold for a fabric covered button which is thinner than are back molds of the prior art.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description.

In general my invention contemplates the provision of an improved tufted back mold for a fabric covered button in which I superpose a retainer disc having circularly disposed teeth on a tuft-forming fabric piece pushed through a central opening in the mold shell and extending over an upstanding annular flange around the central opening. I then clamp the parts together and upset the annular flange to cause the teeth to cam the fabric under the upset flange and clamp the tuft-forming material between the teeth and the flange.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of the shell of my improved tufted back mold for a fabric covered button before assembly of the mold.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the shell shown in FIGURE 1 with the tuft-forming material placed in position before assembly.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the shell of my improved tufted back mold taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the retainer disc of my improved tufted back mold before assembly.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view illustrating the relative disposition of the parts of my improved tufted back mold to each other before assembly and to an assembling tool.

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of my improved tufted back mold after assembly of the parts.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of my assembled improved tufted back mold taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is an elevation of my assembled tufted back mold illustrating the manner in which it is employed to form a fabric covered button.

Referring to the drawings, the shell indicated generally by the reference character 10 of my improved tufted back mold may be stamped from a blank of a suitable metal to form a base 12 having a peripheral flange 14 and a central opening 16 provided with an annular flange 18 extending upwardly from the base 12. Starting with the shell 10 to form my improved tufted back mold, I first place a piece 20 of a suitable tuft-forming material such, for example, as light canvas over the opening 16 and push the piece through the opening to form a tu-ft 22. The edge 24 of the piece 20 extends out over the flange 18 and overlies the base 12.

My improved tufted back mold includes a retainer or clamping disc indicated generally by the reference character 26 which may be stamped from a blank of a suitable metal which may be the same metal as that used to form shell 10. In the course of forming the disc 26 I punch a plurality of downwardly extending tongues 28 out of the disc material with the tongues 28 arranged generally on the locus of a circle and with the tongues extending slightly radially inwardly of disc 26. I also provide disc 26 with a central opening 30 formed by a slightly depressed lip 32. I so form disc 26 that the diameter of opening 30 is slightly less than the diameter of opening 16 and so that the ends of the tongues 28 are outboard of the flange 18.

In the operation of assembling my improved tufted back mold I take a shell carrying a fabric piece 20 in the manner shown in FIGURE 5 and place a disc 26 over the fabric with the opening 30 generally aligned with opening 16 and with the ends of the teeth or tongues 28 resting on the fabric at points inboard of the fabric edge but outboard of the flange 18.

In order to clamp the parts of my assembly together I provide respective upper and lower dies 34 and 36 which may, for example, be mounted on the jaws 38 and 40 of a suitable device such, for example, as parallel motion pliers. I provide upper die 34 with a generally concave annular recess 42 surrounding a central boss 44 having a diameter slightly less than that of the opening 39. The lower die 36 has a central opening 46 which receives boss 44 when jaws 38 and 40 move together in the direction of the arrows in FIGURE 5. I provide the lower jaw 40 with an opening 48 which permits boss 44 to travel through a full stroke.

In the particular form of clamping disc 26 illustrated in the drawing, I provide eight teeth 28. When, from the position shown in FIGURE 5, boss 44 enters into the opening 30 the disc 26 is engaged by the surface of recess 42 to move the disc downwardly relative to the base 12. In the course of this operation the teeth 28 drive the material 20 toward the base and bite into the material. Continued movement of the disc toward the base causes the teeth 28 to be bent somewhat upwardly toward the disc body from the positions to which they were initially formed. Continued movement of the dies 34 and 36 toward each other causes the upper edge of flange 18 to drive a portion of the fabric into engagement with the curved juncture 50 between recess 42 and boss 44. Upon continued movement, flange 18 is upset in a radially outward direction.

As the dies 34 and 36 complete their movement toward each other in the manner described above, the teeth 28 slide radially inwardly as they are bent and the flange is bent radially outwardly until the parts arrive at the relative position illustrated in FIGURE 7. Also, the outer portion of recess 42 bends the outer edge of the disc 26 slightly toward the base. Ultimately the portion of the tuft-forming material outboard of the tuft 22 assumes a serpentine configuration in cross-section being clamped between lip 30 and the upset flange 18, between the flange and the teeth 28 and between the teeth 28 and the base 12. Owing to the fact that the teeth bite into the fabric the assembly has a high resistance to twisting of the tuft. As a matter of fact, my new tufted back construction normally will be stronger than the garment fabric with which it is used. That is to say, the likelihood is that the garment fabric will rip before the material 20 will pull out of my back.

The manner in which I construct my improved tufted back mold will readily be apparent from the description hereinabove. I superpose fabric 20 over opening 16 and push the tuft 22 through the opening while leaving edge 24 extending over flange 18. I then place a disc 26 over the fabric, bring the parts into operative relationship with dies 34 and 36, and move the dies toward each other. As the dies move toward each other, teeth 28 are bent upwardly and the flange 18 is upset thus securely clamping the material 20 to the shell 10.

Referring to FIGURE 8, in use of my back mold to form a fabric covered button I stretch a piece of fabric 52 over the surface of an outer shell 54 and direct the edge of the fabric piece 52 inwardly over the lower edge of the outer shell flange 56. My back mold is then pressed into the outer shell with the fabric clamped between flange 14 and flange 56 and with the fabric edge rolled slightly over the edge of flange 14. The assembled fabric covered button can then be secured to a garment by passing thread through the tuft 22 and through the garment.

While I have described my back mold in its application to fabric covered buttons, it may as Well be used with other buttons which are not of the fabric covered type. That is, it may receive any decorative shell which can be clamped to the mold, such for example as a metal cover.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided an improved tufted back mold for a fabric covered button which is stronger and more durable than are back molds of the prior art. My back mold is not deleteriously affected by laundering or dry-cleaning. It is highly resistant to separation of the tufted material as a result of twisting. It permits of the manufacture of a much thinner tufted back fabric covered button than is possible in the prior art.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A method of clamping a fabric piece between a base having an opening with an upstanding peripheral flange and a centrally apertured generally flat disc having a downwardly extending lip around said aperture and a plurality of generally downwardly directed teeth struck out therefrom and disposed on the locus of a circle having a diameter greater than that of the opening including the steps of superposing said fabric piece on said base over said flange, assembling said disc on said fabric piece with said teeth directed toward said base and then employing suitable means to force said disc down toward said base and to bend down the inner and outer peripheries of the apertured disc so as to cam said teeth toward said flange and reinforce the disc and concomitantly to upset said flange over said teeth to clamp the fabric between said teeth and said upset flange.

2. A tufted back mold for a button including in combination a shell having a central opening, a lip extending generally radially outwardly around said opening, a fabric piece overlying said lip and having a tuft extending out through said opening, a retainer disc behind said fabric piece, said disc having a lipped central opening therein and having a plurality of struck-out teeth disposed on the locus of a circle outboard of the disc opening, said teeth being directed radially inwardly of said opening and under said lips to clamp the fabric between the lips and the teeth.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 380,980 4/1888 Bocks 79--5 1,777,718 10/1930 Devendor et a1. 2495 3,182,369 5/1965 Lerma 24-92 FOREIGN PATENTS 68,835 1941 Czechoslovakia. 359,248 9/1922 Germany. 362,099 10/ 1922 Germany.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Examiner. 

2. A TUFTED BACK MOLD FOR A BUTTON INCLUDING IN COMBINATION A SHELL HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING, A LIP EXTENDING GENERALLY RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AROUND SAID OPENING, A FABRIC PIECE OVERLYING SAID LIP AND HAVING A TUFT EXTENDING OUT THROUGH SAID OPENING, A RETAINER DISC BEHIND SAID FABRIC PIECE, SAID DISC HAVING A LIPPED CENTRAL OPENING THEREIN AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF STRUCK-OUT TEETH DISPOSED ON THE LOCUS OF A CIRCLE OUTBOARD OF THE DISC OPENING, SAID TEETH BEING DIRECTED RADIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID OPENING AND UNDER SAID LIPS TO CLAMP THE FABRIC BETWEEN THE LIPS AND THE TEETH. 